Alan Dickson
Scottish-born Kiwi Alan Dickson has directed and produced hundreds of commercials via his Auckland and Melbourne based studio Yukfoo. His animated short Preferably Blue — a twisted take on the Easter Bunny, starring English comedian Harry Enfield —screened at North America's South by Southwest and Tribeca festivals. He is developing animated feature Shirley and the Hungary Bear.
Bruce Sheridan
Bruce Sheridan has produced and directed a range of music and television projects, including Frank Sargeson documentary Perfectly Frank. He is currently chairman of the film and video department at Chicago's Columbia College.
Gus Roxburgh
Nelson-born Gus Roxburgh, who works in Los Angeles for the media arm of Red Bull, has carved a career by combining his love of the outdoors and his passion for filmmaking. As comfortable in front of the camera as he is behind it, Roxburgh has made films in some of the world’s most dangerous places — from New Zealand’s Southern Alps to the streets of South Los Angeles.
Andrew Hagen
Andrew Hagen began composing for film while in band Schtung. Hagen and fellow bandmember Morton Wilson provided music for a quartet of Kiwi movies, including Kingpin and The Scarecrow, then moved to Hong Kong and set up studios in Asia. In 1992 Hagen headed to LA, establishing himself as an award-winning composer, sound designer and sound supervisor. In 2011 he launched a branch of Schtung back in Wellington.
Brough Johnson
University of California (Santa Cruz) graduate Brough Johnson cut her cutting room teeth editing news reports down under. After getting a break editing doco Children of a Nation, she has accrued a diverse slate of Kiwi credits, and is at home crafting stories from fact (Both Worlds, Queer Selfies) and fiction. Johnson’s dramatic credits include episodes of primetime TV (Step Dave, Go Girls), Power Rangers and short films.
Simon Marler
Simon Marler's film industry experience includes stints as a casting director, as a director of shorts and documentaries, and three years as head of New Zealand film organisation Script to Screen.
Tony Simpson
Keen for Kiwi children to see themselves on the big screen, Tony Simpson made his movie directing debut in 2012 with trolley tale Kiwi Flyer (also known as Derby Dogs). The film was inspired by memories of racing in Nelson’s annual trolley derby as a child. After completing 2016's A Mindful Choice, a documentary about mindfulness, he began work on Santa downunder movie, Kiwi Christmas. Simpson's screen career began long before any of these; he has directed for Shortland Street, created 2002 animated series The Adventures of Cumie the Cloud, and worked on a run of titles as an assistant director.
Tom Reilly
Tom Reilly was named new filmmaker of the year thanks to a showreel that included his short film Man with Issues. Reilly's shorts and commercials have often mixed traditional stop motion animation with digital effects. In 2010 he scored festival acclaim with feature Gordonia, chronicling battles between an eccentric car yard owner and Waitakere City Council, then directed a trio of doco series for Wellington’s Gibson Group.
Matt McPhail
Producer Matt McPhail’s CV includes a number of Kiwi comedy hits. He started his career directing 1990s youth show Ice TV, before helping write and direct internationally successful superhero series Amazing Extraordinary Friends. His producing credits include The Jaquie Brown Diaries, the acclaimed Hounds, and downlowconcept feature Gary of the Pacific.